PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE via COLLEGIATE PRESSWIRE)--May 14, 2002--In his address to the MCP Hahnemann University (MCPHU) School of Medicine graduates, American Medical Association President, a Hahnemann University alumnus, Dr. Richard Corlin `65 called for increased gun violence research and urged Congress to pass legislation to aid the 40 million Americans without healthcare coverage.
The commencement included 215 future doctors. Drexel President Constantine Papadakis presided over the commencement, MCPHU`s first since merging with Drexel University on April 25.
On gun violence --
-- ''We`ve shown that we recognize that gun violence is a different issue from gun control. Gun violence is clearly a medical problem, a serious epidemic. We need to approach it like every other epidemic that causes avoidable deaths.''
-- ''We do not let the children who play (violent video games) drive because they are too young. We do not let them drink because they are too young. We do not let them smoke because they are too young. But we do let them be trained to be shooters at an age when they have not yet developed their impulse control and have none of the maturity and discipline to safely use the weapons they are playing with. ''
-- ''Gunfire kills 10 children a day in America. The United States leads the world in the rate at which its children die from firearms. Gun violence is a threat to the public health of our country.''
On accessible healthcare coverage --
-- ''A new bill, the HEALTH Act, the acronym for Help Efficient Accessible, Low-cost, Timely Health Care Act, was recently introduced into the House of Representatives. And I hope that you`ll follow its progress carefully and let your congressional representatives know that you`re watching it. And you are watching them.
-- ''And while you`re at it, give (Congress) a push about developing some long overdue legislation to deal with our problem of those Americans who are not protected by health insurance. Today, the uninsured are disproportionately aggregated among the working poor of our nation. That`s right, about 83 percent of the uninsured, some eight out of 10, dwell in families where somebody draws a paycheck. Living without health insurance is a serious health risk.''
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